Golf Technolgy 2012 - Drivers, Woods & Hybrids
February 2012

Callaway RAZR FIT driver Flagship model with full adjustability

While Callaway pioneered the elaborate i-Mix interchangeable shaft system a few years ago, they have been relative latecomers to the market for fully adjustable drivers in terms of weights, lofts and face angles. But featuring the latest evolution of the company’s OptiFit hosel technology the RAZR FIT driver introduces very effective ball flight ‘personalisation’ across a full range of parameters within a surprisingly traditional looking 440cc head.

The RAZR FIT features moveable 12g and 2g weights that shift the clubhead’s centre of gravity to promote either a draw, or neutral ball flight while a quick turn of the ‘smart’ metal sleeve within the high-tech hosel allows you to alter the loft (up or down a degree) and face angle (open or closed) to your preferences.

So far we’ve given this a brief test on a simulator/launch monitor and appreciate the way golfers will be able to combine these concepts easily in ways that work both aesthetically and performance wise. For example, many players like to see a neutral or even open face angle at address yet can still benefit from a draw bias through setting the weighting.

The driver also makes use of the Forged Composite material – lighter and stronger than titanium – famously developed in collaboration with Lamborghini and which debuted in last year’s flagship RAZR Hawk and Octane Black models. The RAZR FIT also incorporates brand new Speed Frame face technology that continues Callaway’s quest to deliver higher ball speeds over a wider face area.

Phil Mickelson is already using the club which we will revisit in more detail once we test it again at Orlando, along with the matching adjustable fairways. £329. www.callawaygolf.com

Nike VR Pro Limited Edition Forged driver

After the company’s futuristic geometry of recent years, Nike is now focusing on more aesthetic driver shapes – though still sporting plenty of new technology.

The Nike VR Pro Limited Edition Forged driver is the latest addition to the premium VR franchise, featuring a surprisingly traditional pear-shaped crown in a 430cc head volume (slightly below the maximum allowed).

The titanium head is constructed in a four piece forging process construction that incorporates Nike’s latest NexCOR face technology: a ‘multi-thickness’ design where the thinnest sections generate the fastest ball speeds in an attempt to maximise distance for the widest range of players.

The sole reprises the company’s distinctive Compression Channel – which now extends the entire length of the sole – again with thickness variations to increase speed at more positions on the clubface. Meanwhile, the Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana ‘Ahina’ shaft is noted for its Multi-Dimensional Interlay technology (MDI) with a stiffer mid and tip section than its predecessor.

Nike stars, Paul Casey and Anthony Kim, already have the driver in the bag. Lofts are 8.5°, 9.5° and 10.5°. £299.95.

www.nikegolf.eu

Adams Idea a12 Hybrids Velocity Slot evolves

Among the leading name in hybrids, Adams has developed some radical new ideas, like the visually striking Velocity Slot technology that debuted last season and has now been refined for the new Idea a12 range. The concept involves a thin sectioned drilled out of the crown and sole, leaving a much smaller, more flexible connection between the face and crown.

This boldly invasive strategy aims to produce a hotter face normally associated only with the larger clubhead volume of a driver. “The spring-like effect produced across the entire face does just that, giving golfers increased distance, optimized launch and improved forgiveness,” says Michael Vrska, Adams R&D director, confirming the Idea a12 Hybrid’s superior performance over the a7. The Velocity Slot ‘2’ concept is available in both the Idea a12 and the Idea a12OS: the latter with a 14% larger and even thinner face, greater perimeter weighting and a low CG that combine to deliver what appears to be the company’s most forgiving hybrid to date. Meanwhile, the a12OS hybrids will also form part of an integrated combination set that includes Transitional Hybrids in the 7 and 8 irons.

Featuring a radical Truss Back design, these ‘Trans’ clubs allow more weight to the perimeter and sole making them ideally suited to bridging the gap between the hybrids (in the 4-5-6) and the deep, undercut cavity-back irons in the 9- iron and wedges. The precise set composition can be varied in a custom order.

Adams Idea a12 Hybrids: £199.99 (available in 17°, 19°, 22° and 25° lofts with Pro- Force VTS Silver hybrid shafts). Adams Idea a12 OS set: £599 (steel shafts)/£699 (graphite). www.adamsgolf.com

Cobra Long Tom driver 48-inch shaft shock!

Just when you thought it was only putters whose shafts were getting ever longer, Cobra Golf’s two new models of Long Tom driver are set to stand out from the pack (literally) with their 48-inch shafts – a full 2 or 3 inches longer than typical rivals.

Normally such shafts are the preserve of long-driving specialists keen to harness every last yard of distance potential from the extra swingspeed on offer from the additional length. Until now, however, they have generally not caught on commercially for two reasons: starting with the extra weight of a longer shaft which, for many, makes the club too unwieldy thereby defeating the object of the exercise.

But Cobra have addressed this: building the club with exceptionally lightweight materials throughout. In fact, the Long Tom weighs in at just 279g (and the limited edition Long Tom RAW at 285g) making them, paradoxically, at the lower range of the market dominated by drivers over 300g.

Key to this is not merely the super light construction of both the short, thin grip and the Grafalloy Blackbird graphite shaft but also the smaller clubhead volume of 445cc and the use of 8-1-1 titanium with its superior strength-to-weight ratio (over the more common 6-4) allowing for a thinner face. The second concern over long shafts is that control is often compromised by the greater difficulty of consistently ‘middling it’. Cobra have also looked at this with their E9 face technology which claims a 30% larger sweet spot and set in an elliptical pattern which research suggests reflects the pattern most golfers make with off-centre hits. There’s also a new bulge and ‘dual’ roll face design that basically improves stability in the vertical plane resulting in more distance for shots hit above and below the centre-line.

Tapping into today’s fashion for cool prototypes, the Long Tom RAW is a limited edition of 500 with an unfinished cosmetic whose cryptic number stampings, we’re told, refer to the wall thickness at various points across the 9-degree head, reinforcing that industrial, ‘straight-out-of-the-lab’ look.

The other Long Tom model comes in a slick black finish, with a slightly lighter head weight and more loft options (8°, 9° and 10°) making it more accessible to bolder higher handicappers that can handle the extra length.

We gave the RAW a good workout – and there was undoubted satisfaction from the sound, feel and power of a well-timed connection which we found delivered a more penetrating trajectory but with plenty of carry as well as roll.

We found it far easier to hit than expected, though you may need a slightly flatter swing plane and a smooth tempo – which may, anyway, help to improve your timing with all clubs. Of course, there are a few practical issues in accommodating Long Tom (named incidentally, after a cannon used in World War II and Korea). There’s the challenge of fitting it into your car boot and your travel cover – while I had to dismantle the shelf in my locker in order to keep it at my golf club.

As I told the valet, I did it for science….. Cobra Long Tom RAW Driver £319 Long Tom Driver £289; www.cobragolf.com